Humans, Spirits and Neo Androids
by Leonic0922
Summary: Since the Neo Androids took over, Ayme wants to leave Domino City. However, she won't leave without Mike, but he can't leave Domino City...
1. Chapter 1

Humans, Spirits, and Neo Androids

No one wished to see the sun set, yet no one could stop the Earth rotating, or ask nature to kindly keep the only source of light left in the sky permanently. While the Earth had drastically changed, nature and Earth were still oblivious to the terror which had happened on Earth's very surface only two months ago. The Spectrum had affected all the survivors; that is, whilst some were as far away from a mental breakdown as possible, others were crying from their hearts in a bedraggled state. For those near the drastic end, the last two months had been a never-ending pain, and there was nothing they could do to end it, not even by ripping apart the murderers, the so-called "Neo Androids".

No matter on which end of the Spectrum the survivors sat at, seeing the Neo Androids was always a surreal yet vastly common sight. The robots had invaded out of the blue two months ago, and their brute power and technology had been so advanced no human could ever have designed them, accidentally or intentionally. They had emerged as an impressive army of white metal and laser guns, their metallic feet had left only one set of footprints as they had marched in a crocodile fashion, their distinctive beat more powerful, more commanding than any human army. Even before they had fired their guns, it had been made perfectly clear they were the humans' superiors.

Very few had managed to flee the Neo Androids before the shooting began (the Neo Androids did not bother with the countryside or small villages); for those who had survived the shooting, they knew a new regime was in place. All major towns and cities now had a metallic border, disallowing any human to enter or leave the city or town (unless they happened to have good reason, such as delivering food). Amongst the cities affected by the Neo Androids was Domino City. Once a thriving place, there were mixed views as to what it was nowadays; to the more optimistic mind, it was still a place for life and dreams; to the more pessimistic mind, Domino City was just a pointless structure on the verge of collapse, held together only by the web of crumbled aspirations, and the limited relief it gave to the survivors.

To Ayme Mudgeon, her mind was neither optimistic nor pessimistic; she was one of the few who had a balanced mind as to what Domino City was. She still saw it as her home, despite the broken buildings, and the permanent darkness the city had been plunged into. Since the Neo Androids had invaded, anything technological had failed; electricity was no longer available, computers, internet and phones went haywire, batteries ran flat faster than you could say "batteries", and even guns – weapons with no need for electricity whatsoever – were mysteriously jammed. Daytime in Domino City wasn't so bad, at least they had the sun to enlighten the wrecked city; night was when it became terrifying. Candles could only give your field of vision so much.

Ayme had learnt to live with all of this; it was something everyone learnt over time. She currently lay in her back garden, staring up at the orange sky as the red sun slowly sunk out of view, ready to enlighten the other side of the Earth. She just lay on the grass, on her "imprint"; every blade of grass in her garden had reached such a fragile and inflexible state, a small amount of pressure was enough to leave a permanent mark. That was the case with the imprints of Ayme's footsteps and body; watching the sunset had become a fixture in Ayme's daily routine, partially because it would be the last glimmer of light for the next twelve hours, and partially because beyond the heart wrenching sight rested a scenic picture. There was something about the way that the yellow, orange, red, and occasional pink tinge to the transparent clouds blended and soothed the troubled mind and heart of Ayme.

"Ayme?" she heard a voice ask. She sat up, her palms pressed on her imprint as Mike Knox came into view. A lanky boy whose height narrowly skimmed six feet, he was perhaps the only surviving teenager Ayme could actually talk to and be friends with. There was a vibe amongst the other teenagers that excluded Ayme, and Mike from what it seemed; she knew he too had been having difficulties with the other teenagers. They had known each other for the past three years through Duel Academy, and had been home for the summer holiday, ready to return for their final year as Obelisk Blues when the Neo Androids had invaded. Now, they were stranded, unable to do anything except pace the lifeless city.

"Hi Mike," she said to him as he began to make his way over, his Commander Covington following him. The Neo Androids' presence had had a funny effect on the monsters; it seemed as if all monsters had suddenly died, except for one sole survivor in each deck, though they were not always the favoured monster. The surviving monster was forever attached to their master as a solid, materialised partner, and although they were not real people, they seemed to be able to understand humans; in such difficult times, it seemed as if the surviving monster was the only outsider who could be trusted. "You normally don't come here."

"I wondered where you were, that's all," Mike explained as he carefully trod in Ayme's footprints. He looked at her, and indicated the spot next to her. "Is it alright if I can –"

"Yeah, sure," she interrupted, knowing what his question was. The two teenagers said nothing as Mike lay beside Ayme, creating a new imprint. He turned his head to look at her as Commander Covington stood beside them. Being a monster, he left no kind of imprint.

"Are you OK?"

"Course I am, what makes you say that?" Ayme looked confused at Mike's question; in return, he just shrugged.

"Nothing, I just wondered. You're always on time for the sunset and sunrise." A small smile flickered on Ayme's face, a rare sight nowadays; no one had been happy since the Neo Android's regime, and to see a smile was something of a considerable moment.

"I like things people don't like," Ayme told him as she rested on the grass again, her big eyes focusing on the sky rather than Mike. "What do you see when the sun sets?" A pause.

"Misery, darkness … early bedtime." He too looked up at the sky. "What about you?"

"Beauty," whispered Ayme, as if conveying a spiritual sense of mind, which she seemed to be. When she next spoke, her voice was at normal level again. "Sunset's not meant to be this gloomy, it's meant to be bright, joyful, romantic even … look at the way the colours blend with each other! It's so beautiful…"

"Yeah…" Mike absent-mindedly mumbled in agreement, his eyes blankly staring at the sky, his ears taking in every word Ayme said. He knew she was about to rant again, and as past experience went, it was best to leave her to rant.

"Everyone's so scared, it distorts everything. Fear does nothing but destroy what was meant to be observed as a piece of art, it changes good meanings to bad meanings. Why does no one dare to observe the sunset like you and I? It's not as if the sky is going to rain daggers on us, is it?"

"Of course not."

These rants were never that fun, but the impassioned tone in Ayme's voice, the flustering heat that coated her during these times, and her simplistic way of thinking gave the rants such a different dimension, Mike found them worth listening to. It was these rants that, in Mike's opinion, casted Ayme aside from the other teenagers, that gave her a sense of distinction and unusual appeal; even before the Neo Androids' attack, when he and Ayme had been at Duel Academy, they had been the oddities of the Obelisk Blues, the "blemishes" of what would have otherwise been a perfect dorm. No one ever willingly wanted to talk to them which, in its own right, had its pros and cons; this exclusion from the general year allowed Mike and Ayme to spend more time with each other than anybody, and considering how they very happily got along with each other, neither had any true cravings to try and join in with the other teenagers.

"Sorry, I'm getting carried away again, aren't I?" The apologies always came after the rants were over (Ayme was fully aware of how liable she was to rant, but this knowledge never stopped her from starting one), and it was these upon these apologies that the cue to change the subject came.

"You always apologise on your own accord," Mike carelessly commented. "Where's Sunny Pixie?" Like Commander Covington, Ayme's only surviving monster was her Sunny Pixie. Upon hearing the question, Ayme immediately pointed upwards to the roof of her house, where the faintest outline of a tiny fairy currently sat, overlooking the garden.

"Over there. She likes it there." There was a stiff, cold tone to Ayme's voice as she spoke. Mike knew the source of her problem; whilst he got on very well with Commander Covington, Ayme wasn't as kind to her Sunny Pixie. Her beloved monster and ex-duel spirit, Honest, had died, and while Mike was sure Ayme wouldn't have minded any monster to be her surviving monster, he had a feeling she would never have picked her Sunny Pixie to survive.

"Oh, right," he said as he too looked at Sunny Pixie. A pause followed, during which neither teenager really knew what to say. There was so much that went unspoken nowadays conversations rarely had any meaning left in them. What meaning _was_ there when everyone cowered for their lives, too afraid to fight back, yet outraged to play the submissive role? "You should give Sunny Pixie a chance, she's –"

"Mike, can we not –" Ayme sharply interrupted, her eyes shut, spitting out every word with every intention to stop Mike from talking about her unwanted monster.

"OK, I get it." Now it was Mike's turn to talk over her. He knew he shouldn't be picking on the topic of Ayme's fragile relation with Sunny Pixie, but he _wanted_ to talk to her about it, he just wanted her to come to terms with the truth, that she could never have her way all the time. Honest's death had affected her deeply, yes, but he felt it was better for her to consult in him rather than weigh all the distressing emotion down in her heart, like a little balloon full of trapped air, ready to explode at any time; outside of their little bubble, Mike had seen so many emotional breakdowns, all caused by unspoken distress and hatred. In such rough times, trapping emotions in the most fragile organ was always too much for people to cope, even those who seemed to be tough on the outside, a statement which reflected Ayme like her own reflection. She was a tough girl, especially proven by her inability to cry at moving times (except for if it was extremely moving, or if it was close to her heart), but Mike could see through her toughness, and into the troubled soul which lay underneath. Even with their close friendship, Ayme was not always open, and it was Mike's responsibility to prise the closed shell open, and to help the vulnerable core through troubled times, even if it meant dying.

"Thank you." The words came out quietly, and the topic was over.

"Since when did you start spelling your name Ayme?" he asked, now looking sideways at her. "You used to spell it Amy." He heard her laugh, and it puzzled him like so many things did nowadays. It was feasible to say Ayme was more withdrawn and unpredictable than before, especially after her father Cur went missing over three weeks ago. The two teenagers knew there was nothing they could do about this; Ayme was reduced to looking at Mike and his luckily complete family – consisting of his parents and older brother – in a longing and envious way, and these looks always caused discomfort in Mike.

"I changed it three weeks ago," Ayme explained to him. Now that she had stopped laughing, she placed her hands over her stomach, her fingers locked. She was carefully avoiding Mike's glance, her watering eyes forcefully fixed on the slowly darkening sky. Any bright colour was gone as the darkening shades of the night sky dulled the otherwise beautiful hue. "Ever since dad went missing, I felt it was right." A lump formed in her throat; it was only now, when her dead really _was_ gone, she realised how much she had loved him. Her relationship with him had been uneasy, and it had been made even more restless when they had found her mum had been ruthlessly slaughtered by the Neo Androids. "I had to; as Amy Mudgeon, I am no one. As Ayme Mudgeon, I'm an independent girl, ready to make her own living like every adult does."

"It doesn't matter to me what your name is, you're Ayme to me." There was a certain degree of dishonesty in Mike's comment; did he really know who she was, now that she wasn't the Amy he had come to know three years ago? He had only said it to comfort her, to take her mind off her possibly deceased father; it pained him to see his strong friend so upset.

"Thank you Mike. I'm glad I've still got you." _Really?_ Mike questioned her mentally. He watched her sigh just as Sunny Pixie flew over and settled on Ayme's fingers, which immediately annoyed her; she roughly waved her hand, and the startled fairy immediately took flight, settling on a patch of grass beside Ayme. Suddenly, Ayme sighed, something which caught Mike's attention. "Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking, we've been trapped in Domino City for the past two months."

"That's true, yeah." Something about her following sentence was alarming him, though he didn't know what.

"I'm starting to tire of this place. There's only so much we can do with the Neo Androids in place. I'm tired of being told what we can and can't do, and I'm sick of all this cant about rioting against the Neo Androids, before the people who start all the hype turn their back to the rioting because they're too scared to do it. I want to make a move, a proper, actually plausible move." She turned on her side to look at Mike, as if asking for his opinion.

"Are you suggesting we start a riot?" He watched her shake her head.

"No, but you're close. I want to escape Domino City and go to the countryside. The Neo Androids never bothered there, the butcher told me when the meat came yesterday." Now it was Mike's turn to shake his head.

"That's insane Ayme, it'll never work." While Mike was doubtful, Ayme looked genuinely hopeful, a look which Mike hadn't seen for the past two months from anyone, and not just Ayme. He had seen more false hopes than actual, real hope, and while it did make a change, he didn't like this look of real hope.

"I think it _can_ work, why else would I be talking to you about this? I'm quite friendly with the butcher, the baker and the dairyman, I can talk to them, see if they can take us out of the city –"

"Hold on, _us_?" Mike repeated, looking unmistakably confused. He hoped he had heard her wrong … if he hadn't, events were going to turn nasty …

"Yeah, did you think I was planning on going alone? I want you to come with me; I don't plan on spending my days in the countryside alone. You're not like those freaks who only know how to obey orders like some cowardly dog, you can actually _do_ something useful, you could actually rebel against the Neo Androids if you wanted to!"

"Why do you want to leave Domino City?" The blunt delivery of this question, and the fact that Mike was now looking at the sky rather than Ayme, caught Ayme off-guard for a brief second; she had never known Mike to talk like that before.

"I told you, I'm tired of –"

"No, you're going for another reason aren't you? I know you –" _Or I thought I did_. "– you wouldn't just leave your home because you're sick of it. No … there has to be another reason."

"What if, for once, there isn't?" Ayme demanded. She knew Mike was starting to deconstruct her again, and every time he did it, she hated it; anyone who could deconstruct her had the potential to hurt her for life, as she learnt the hard way when her first and only boyfriend had cheated on her all those years ago. Mike was the only other person who could do it, and while he had never hurt her before, there was no guaranteeing he wasn't capable of it.

"There always is Ayme, I've learnt that so many times more than you can count in one sitting. You love Domino City, you would never give it up unless … it's about your parents, isn't it?"

"No –"

"Yes it is. You can't bear being here anymore, living as an orphan when the City has too many memories for you to cope with. You want to make a fresh start, escape from all your troubles you're facing here … and you want me to come with you … even though all my family are here …" He made brief eye contact with her, though she broke it as she turned away from him.

The low positioning of the nearly invisible sun threw long shadows across the garden, covering both teens and their surviving monsters in darkness. With only about five minutes of light remaining, it would not be long before the curfew came into place. Anyone who dared to wander the streets at night would be shot dead; it was that simple. No ifs, no buts, no exceptions.

"I won't go alone Mike. Only you understand me, only you can get along with me –"

"But I _can't_ leave my family for you," he firmly interrupted, trying to make his point clear and quickly. "I'm sorry you're now an orphan –" He ignored the warning signs and pressed on. "– but you're nothing short of selfish, asking me to leave my family behind. They need me, and you know that; without me, mum would be in a mental hospital, bro would already be dead, and goodness knows what would have happened to dad." He stood up, and so did Commander Covington. Ayme looked genuinely upset, though uit was hard to tell with her face in shadow.

"Mike –"

"I've got to go, the curfew will be in place soon. See you Ayme." Without even looking at her, he walked out of the garden, treading in Ayme's footprints, and disappeared out of sight.

"Mike …"

"Cheer up Ayme, he'll be fine tomorrow," her Sunny Pixie piped up. She had a rather high, gentle voice, and it annoyed Ayme.

"Shut up, you don't know what you're talking about." Ayme rose from her imprint, and stayed still for a moment as she took a sideways glance at Mike's imprint. It was only when darkness had fully taken over did she head back into her home, her Sunny Pixie – now a tiny glowing figure – flying eagerly after her.

~*~


	2. Chapter 2

Two long and reflective days passed over Ayme's head, during which the dairyman came. Having checked with him at the first possible moment, Ayme found it was possible to escape by posing as a newly recruited milkmaid helping the dairyman on his farm. As long as they left during the day, and proved Ayme really _was_ going to help, there was no reason as to why she couldn't leave.

However, in her mind, a nagging feeling kept persisting, unable to stay away for long. She hadn't seen Mike for the past two days, and she began to wonder if he was in trouble. It wasn't like him to keep quiet for this long; she knew he had his family to look after, she knew she shouldn't be expecting him to follow her everywhere she went, but she wanted his company … she couldn't bear the thought of facing the changed world alone …

It was for this reason she slipped a note through his front door not long after the curfew was lifted at 6am as always. She wanted to see him again, mainly to stop herself from believing the Neo Androids had reached him, and mainly because she wanted to revise her suggestion. Knowing Mike, he was an easily forgiven person; usually, after a row, they would forget about it and move on.

Ayme made her way across Domino City and into the intact duel arena. No one came here anymore to duel, not since their cards had died – what use was it to duel if there was no life left? The lack of usage was clear in the arena – thick dust coated the stadium and stands like a carpet, bodies of adventurous insects lay like grotesque decorations, and everything electronic just gloomily sat, doomed to never again be used. The door had to be wedged open, otherwise the stadium would be thrown in darkness; however, the light was still limited, meaning Ayme had to be beside the door, where it was the brightest.

She waited for the next twenty minutes, yet nobody came. Overhead, the glowing Sunny Pixie was annoying her by whizzing around the stadium like an overexcited child, something which Ayme never had the patience for. Still, Sunny Pixie was tiny enough to ignore, and that was what Ayme did, though her overwhelming impatience was taking over. She had every intention to leave for Mike's house, and was about to do so when –

"Ayme!" For the first time in two days, Ayme smiled and waved as she saw Mike, a baggy rucksack slung over his shoulder, and Commander Covington making their way over as Sunny Pixie hovered by Ayme's ear. What caught their eye the most was a robotic arm, stripped of its white shell, which Mike was currently carrying, treating it like it was a baby, the arm gleaming hopelessly yet proudly under the sun.

"Mike!" She waited until he had entered the stadium before speaking again. Unsurprisingly, her immediate question was directed at the robotic arm. "Is that –"

"A Neo Android's arm? Exactly." Mike was unsurprisingly beaming, a pleased tone in his voice, as he handed the arm over for Ayme to inspect closer. She gingerly held onto it, and observed; perhaps it was the idea that she would never touch a Neo Android's arm that made it such a special experience. Just observing the robotic arm on a closer level made her realise how creepily alike every human was to the Neo Androids; the firm poles made of titanium supported the arm like bones, spongy transparent material (Ayme suspected they were shock absorbers) filled in the gaps like muscles, and wires of all colour wrapped themselves around the arm, forming a kind of vein-like coating. The electricity would undoubtedly have been pumped around the body like feeding blood through the wires. All five fingers were really laser guns, the palm designed to be one large barrel.

"This is ..." Ayme paused, unsure as to what to say; how could she describe it? Never had she heard anyone claim they had a part of a Neo Android, and if Mike could obtain this, surely he knew how to kill them once and for all? "How did you ...?"

"Two days ago, not long after we returned home, Commander Covington and I had a brainwave," Mike began to explain. "We figured it _might_ be possible to attack a Neo Android; considering how almost everything Commander Covington now does materialises like he's human, he's got an endless supply of ammunition, which means –"

"He can keep firing ... and since surviving monsters can't be affected by Neo Androids because, in essence, they're still just spirits ..." interrupted Ayme, her eyes wide as she realised Mike's point. He nodded, looking pleased that Ayme was following him.

"Exactly; that means Commander Covington's gun won't be blocked. The next day, when the curfew was lifted, we left the house and began to wander around, trying to find a good Neo Android to attack. Commander Covington could tune into their signal, and he located this Neo Android – A50.9D, responsible for patrolling the side alleyways. It wasn't an easy task following it, and it took us a good six hours to establish its routine, and everywhere it goes down."

"Why couldn't Commander Covington use the signal to –" Before she had finished, Mike was already shaking his head.

"The Neo Androids would know someone's hacked into the signal, Commander Covington only had one minute before he had to get out of the signal."

"OK ... so you've followed this Neo Android through Domino City, you've used six hours to figure out where it patrols ... then what?" Ayme was still holding onto the arm, though she was looking eagerly at Mike.

"We had four hours to go before the curfew by the time we had finished working out his route. We wanted to attack him so badly, but we had to wait, because it was heading to some kind of meeting with other Neo Androids. By the time it finished, it must have been dark, because we were back home just in time for the curfew to start, and we never saw A50.9D for that day."

"Right..."

"Next day, Commander Covington and I went back to where A50.9D would be, but it seemed as if he had been teamed with another Neo Android, because the two started patrolling in pairs. I thought we were never going to succeed, but then Commander Covington darted out and started firing. I thought _he_ was going to be finished, until I saw how the laser bullets went through him without a scratch. He took down the other Neo Android; by then, A50.9D was already fleeing so Commander Covington chased after him; luckily, we had picked to ambush them down a particularly lengthy alleyway, and he managed to detach A50.9D's arm before it ran in sight of more Neo Androids."

"That's it?" asked Ayme; for some reason, she felt disappointed. "You just took the arm with you, but not the body of the other Neo Android?" Mike nodded rather solemnly.

"We wanted to take both back, but a dead Neo Android is hardly the most discreet item," Mike pointed out. By now, the excitement in his voice was gone, and seemed to be speaking with a lump in his throat. "We had no choice but to dump the body aside, and take the arm back. Plus, A50.9D was sure to have found recruits to take us down, and then we really _would_ be in danger."

"So what _did_ you do after you left with the arm?"

"We returned home, unscratched, and began to investigate the arm. We figured this spongy thing is a shock absorber, look." He took the arm and pointed to the translucent material, before jabbing it hard. Ayme watched as it bounced in, then out again like jelly. "We opened the barrel too, but it seems as if they're not loaded with bullets, but rather with actual lasers." To prove his point, he opened the barrel, and Ayme peered inside; inactive redish-pink lasers were criss-crossed in all directions, each one ultimately connected to one of the five guns.

"The lasers must have been powered by the electricity, I take it?" Mike merely gave a "uh-huh" in reply. "But if that's the case ... all they would be firing are harmless laser beams, right? How could they possibly use this laser as bullets?"

"I suspect – or rather, Commander Covington does – that the answer is in the guns. I can't find a way to open them though, we're going to try again later tonight." He looked up hopefully at Ayme; what was worrying him though was how sad Ayme had been looking since he had begun to tell her about his past two days. "Are you alright Ayme?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." A series of rapid nods accompanied this as Ayme turned away, which only made Mike press on.

"Really? You've been looking rather ... upset." Suddenly, Ayme whipped round, an angry glare in her eyes. She looked as if she was tempted to slap him, something which positively startled Mike. "Woah, Ayme, what's the matter?"

"YOU!" she yelled, though it was not as loud as it could have been. "That's what the matter is! I've been worried about you for the past two days, your family couldn't tell me where you were, and I was beginning to think you were in some kind of trouble, and now here you are, standing there looking smug and proud of yourself, all because you took back a bloody arm that Commander Covington fired off a Neo Android! BIG DEAL! This is why people are so stressed and worried, because people they care about go away without even a word. Why do you have to do that?"

"Ayme, I –"

"Oh here we go, the bloody excuse! Don't you even stop to think how worried people are going to be if you don't say anything? I thought you were _intelligent_, smarter than the rest of those idiots out there! You could have at least told me what you were going to do! I could have helped!"

"Ayme, I _wanted_ to tell you –"

"WANTED? You're not deaf, dumb, blind, or paralysed in _any way_ Mike, you could have easily knocked on my front door and told me you were going to hunt down a Neo Android! WHY DIDN'T YOU BLOODY TELL ME?" She had resorted to furiously jabbing Mike in the chest, like a wife nagging her own husband. "You _hurt_ me, Mike ... you did." Mike looked genuinely startled as he took one step back.

"I – I'm sorry Ayme, I ... didn't think I'd ..." On that pivoted moment, the atmosphere had changed. No one was angry anymore; on the contrary, it seemed as if the two teenagers were feeling abash with themselves and each other. The very heart of the problem had been unearthed, and now that the roots were left exposed in the hot rays of truth, it exposed the humaneness of humanity that had been missing for so long everyone had become numb to it; what compassion was there left to feel when everyone was dying, locked forever to care for themselves, and themselves alone? As Charles Darwin once said, it truly was a survival of the fittest.

Ayme's eyes dropped to the ground, tears welling. She had never felt such a strong bout of emotion since she had first discovered her father was missing, yet this type of emotion was different; it wasn't an empty feeling, but a warm one. It was that feeling you got when everything had been let off your very chest, the one that had good consequences, not bad. Sunny Pixie tilted her head, her eyes sharing that same glint as Ayme's, an aura of deep compassion clouding her; this was the first time she had been so overwhelmed by emotion, and Sunny Pixie knew what she had to do.

"It's ... it's alright," Ayme shortly told Mike, the back of her palm now pressing gently against her nose as she tried to contain herself. It took her a little longer to lift her head back again, though it was unmistakable that she had let a few tears run. "I ... can manage."

"If you need someone to talk to –" Mike had barely finished when Ayme suddenly pounded onto him, hugging him like he was her only last resort. "Woah, Ayme –"

"I'm sorry Mike, I didn't mean to shout at you," Ayme apologised yet again, her watery eyes now making direct eye contact with his. "But I can't hold it in anymore ... since dad disappeared, I've been so alone I wanted to end myself Mike, I really did ... but I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you behind, all alone in the world ... I don't want to see you upset, injured, or in any way in danger ..."

"... Really?" There was an unexpected tone to Mike's voice, something which could be interpreted two ways; either he was surprised by how weak Ayme was making herself look, or he had never expected her to say such things. Beneath that strong shell, it seemed as if Mike had underestimated just how weak and delicate Ayme really was.

"I mean it Mike." The seriousness in Ayme's voice told him it was best not to question further, and he hastily changed topic.

"Of course you do." He gave her a small smile, and Ayme nodded, her nod as equally small. Overhead, Sunny Pixie had resorted to sitting on top of a dormant light, looking down solemnly and maturely at the scene unfolding before her. "Ayme?"

"Yeah?" The weak tone in which Ayme spoke was only making Mike perceive her even further as weak.

"I've been thinking ... I know you want to leave Domino City, and I think it could be possible. Given that we've managed to kill a Neo Android and detached an arm, if we gather all the offensive surviving monsters, will we have a big enough army to do it?" Ayme looked up, incredibly surprised. She had never know Mike to suggest something like that.

"Well ... the first question is, _do_ we have enough Machine monsters?" Mike shook his head, though it was done through uncertainty.

"I honestly can't answer you. It's not just Machine monsters though; as far as I'm aware, Spellcasters and Pyros can attack too. But even so, we _have_ the grounds to start a rebellion now that we've discovered how to kill the Neo Androids. They can't harm the monsters, but our monsters can harm them. That's the key point."

"I thought you didn't want to make a change?" Ayme asked him with a kind of strange wonder in her voice, as if she was clinging onto and directly talking to some kind of god, lesser or not.

"You misunderstand me Ayme. I didn't want to _leave_, not _change_. You wanted a change, I want a change, we found a way to kill the Neo Androids, and if I can have a little longer to investigate the arm and work out what the source of their laser bullets are, we can start a brand new revolution together Ayme. There will be no empty promises; we will operate on solid ground." A deviant glint was in his eye, and he wrapped his arms around Ayme even tighter; now it was _his_ turn to treat her like a goddess. "Think about it! Our foundations will be on _solid, factual reality_. No one's going to doubt us, and we can gather all our members into yours or my house before the curfew, so we can continue to plan throughout the night."

"Mike, it sounds _fantastic_, but it's all revolving around the "if"," Ayme sadly pointed out as she broke out of Mike's grasp. She was no longer crying, but looking solemnly at Mike. "I'd rather it was just us getting out of Domino City – I mean, what if we _do_ start the rebellion, but the Neo Androids find out and kill us all? We'll be dragging everyone down with us, and it's not worth it ... I just can't think of what it'll be like if we kill everyone because of ... well, _us_." Mike frowned at her, also looking worried and disappointed at the same time.

"I guess you're right. Like I said, it was just a thought. I wasn't making you hyped up for it, was I?"

"No ... you weren't." The equally downhearted tone in Ayme's voice, and her drooping glare held enough evidence to prove she was lying.

"OK ..." He looked at her, as if expecting her to say any more but she kept quiet. Inside, Mike felt some self-blame happening; he _knew_ he had been making Ayme far too excited, but to overlook the tiny "if" word, and to talk as if it really _was_ happening, when in reality it might never do, it was enough to destroy all hopes. That was what those hypocritical rebellions had based their goals on – "if" and empty hopes and dreams – and to hear that, rebellion after rebellion, they weren't going ahead, the public naturally vented their anger towards those who had started all the excitement in the first place. It was curious to know that no one had ever seen the leaders again, and part of Mike felt glad that he had been telling only Ayme of what he had hoped, and no one else; if the public had forced the past "leaders" into exile ...

"Mike, I think we should go, I've seen the same Neo Android pass four times now." Without even asking as to how she knew, Mike stuffed the arm back into his rucksack, and stealthily, the group of four left the duel arena, swearing to an unspoken oath to tell no one of their secret meeting.

~*~


	3. Chapter 3

Since the meeting, Sunny Pixie had been troubled. Ayme had always considered her useless, and underneath the cheery personality, Sunny Pixie was continuously troubled by it. She had no kind of offensive or defensive ability, and even she didn't know what she was capable of. Ayme had never really given her much of a chance, and every time Sunny Pixie had tried to engage her into conversation, Ayme had always waved her off, preferring to sit in the quiet and be lost in her thought rather than confide in her surviving monster.

Today, though, Sunny Pixie felt she had learnt something. She had always been able to perceive Ayme's thoughts and feelings like she was Ayme herself, and she was confident enough to claim that she knew her even better than Ayme did. However, having watched them from atop the light, she found she had been able to see through Mike too. It was an odd feeling, delving into a foreign mind, and extracting those thoughts and feelings that occurred naturalistically, yet for the first time, Sunny Pixie thought she had found her true purpose.

It was surprising how so many of Mike's emotions had matched Ayme's that afternoon; on the surface, as far apart and juxtaposing as they had appeared, they really were almost identical on the inside. She was aware of Ayme's deep feelings for Mike, and it went beyond being very close friends. Mike was yet to express any signs of the same emotion, and it was this lack of revealing that was holding Ayme back. Sunny Pixie was sure that, if Ayme knew exactly what Mike was thinking, she wouldn't be hanging back like she was now.

Sadly, all that talk about rebelling was, to Sunny Pixie, valueless; she just knew they weren't going to rebel, even if Mike _did_ figure out how the arm worked; it was all a fanciful dream, just like all that talk that had preceded them. Mike and Ayme _knew_ very well in their hearts that rebelling would mean death – Sunny Pixie couldn't go as far to describe it as _certain_ death – and their affection for each other would, undoubtedly, stand in the way and force them to change their minds.

_They don't need to do this_, the fairy thought to herself as she glanced out of the window. The full moon was shining tonight, and it had been six hours since the curfew came in effect. Normally, everyone would be asleep by now, but Sunny Pixie felt she had to go and talk to Mike. She liked Ayme, and even if she didn't receive the same amount of likeness back, she wanted Ayme to at least be happy; they had a natural connection, and if Ayme was upset, that emotion would be channelled into Sunny Pixie, and she too would become miserable, whether she wanted it or not.

She looked down into the street, and could see the glowing red light coming from the top of a Neo Android's head. At night, the Red Patrol – a band of upgraded Neo Androids specifically adapted to night time – would come into force at the same time as the curfew, and their guns held so much power they could easily turn a human into a pile of ash. Rumours had it that their guns also had some kind of effect on surviving monsters, though these were unconfirmed, and most likely to be unreliable, just like all rumours were nowadays.

_I'm going to do this_. Sunny Pixie looked over her shoulder, where Ayme's peacefully asleep figure lay on her bed, away from the moonlight which broke through the glass panes and threw long shadows across the wooden floor. _I'm going to do this for you Ayme … you might not like me, but I believe everyone has a right to smile in this new era, even if the Neo Androids don't like it_. She stood up, her head tilted back slightly so her eyes were focused directly on the moon. Then, she flew straight through the window (it was odd how she was able to do this, considering how she was no longer a hologram), and through the night sky.

It could be regarded as unfortunate that Sunny Pixie glowed when it was dark, but the tiny fairy couldn't care less; right now, there was no denying that the silent burden of two people's happiness rested on her shoulders. She had to show she was worth something; as Shakespeare once said, "_All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players_". Right now, it was Sunny Pixie's turn to show her part; for too long, she had stood near the back like a hidden figure, ignored and distanced by everyone.

No robot spotted the glowing fairy as she swooped down, Mike's house her target building. She went straight through the roof in the same way she went through the window, and through the attic, before pulling to a midair halt as she observed the shadowed interior of the house. She would have to go through each room to see where Mike was, and she had a feeling he wasn't sleeping.

_He's probably busy with that arm_, she thought to herself as she flew through a wall, and emerged in a room at random. She found herself in an empty bedroom; the blanket was neatly folded, not a crease was to be found on the bedspread, and it was clear from the puffiness of the pillow that no one had rested their head on it. Although it was hard to see, the bedside picture of Mike and Ayme, and the other picture of Mike and his family confirmed this was Mike's room. Sunny Pixie was about to leave when she noticed Mike had drawn something on his and Ayme's picture frame.

_Hmm? _Sunny Pixie inquisitively glided over to the picture, her glowing body providing light for her to see clearly. There was no mistaking the heart shape Mike had drawn around Ayme's head.

Knowing there was nothing left to see, the monster shot out of the room, and decided to try downstairs. She flew through the ceiling and into the living room, where saw a flickering light coming from another room. _They must be working by candlelight_, she realised as Mike's exaggerated shadow temporarily blocked the light as he moved. She could hear his feet stepping on the carpeted floor, and she made a move forwards.

She had been right; Mike was sat in the dining room, the Neo Android arm placed on the table. He was clearly busy with the arm, looking quizzically at the fingers, still trying to find a way to prise the fingers open with the limited light the burning candle gave him. Commander Covington was also trying to help, though he too looked stumped.

"Mike," began Sunny Pixie as she approached him. He jumped and wildly turned, clearly caught by her suddenly breaking the silence, and relaxing when he saw it was only her.

"You scared me," were his first words before he promptly turned back to the arm. "So, what are you doing here? You normally don't leave Ayme alone."

"I need to talk to you." Even Commander Covington was giving off a confused vibe, let alone Mike, who was looking oddly at Sunny Pixie. She landed on the edge of the table, sitting down so her feet dangled, and looked up directly at Mike. "I think you should talk to Ayme more."

"Why do you say that? I always talk to her –"

"I mean, share your _feelings_ with her. I could always read Ayme like I _was_ her, I know her better than she knows herself," began Sunny Pixie. The flickering candle was casting a long shadow over her, and it even threw shadows on Mike's face, adding an extra dimension to him. "Today though, when she was talking to you in the stadium, I discovered something new. I could read _your_ thoughts and feelings as well." Mike looked half-curious, half-surprised; never had he heard any surviving monster claim that before.

"Really?" was all he could say, namely because there really wasn't much to say at all. In fact, it was really Sunny Pixie who would have the most to say, an assumption which would not have been wrong at all.

"Yeah, and I've discovered a lot of things. Like you love her, and she loves you. I don't mean love as in sisterly-brotherly-love, Mike … you know very well what I'm talking about." He dumbly nodded, still stunned as to how Sunny Pixie could have known.

"Yeah … but does she really love me?" Sunny Pixie had no idea as to how to interpret this question, and Mike's monotone wasn't helping either. Yet her powers had been triggered, and she knew immediately what he felt; surprised, startled, and relief.

"Of course! She just wasn't saying because she was uncertain about what _you_ felt, and you know Ayme hates making herself look vulnerable, especially in front of a boy. She wouldn't be able to take it if you said you didn't love her. But Mike, I thought _you_ would say it first ... why aren't you?" This was a question even Sunny Pixie herself didn't know the answer too; there was a part of Mike that blocked her from knowing, but she didn't know why, or how.

A protracted pause had followed before Mike, his face completely cast in shadow, answered her at last. "I was afraid too." Sunny Pixie's eyes widened through surprise.

"You ... afraid?" It was as if she had been struck dumb by lightning; Mike, a boy who had risked his life to kill a Neo Android ... Mike, a boy who was perhaps closer to understand how the Neo Androids functioned than anyone else ... afraid? She heard him sigh, and had a feeling there was a deeper meaning to this than she had first realised.

"I know it sounds odd, considering what I've done." He took a short moment to glance at the arm, before he continued. "But love's not an easy thing to admit; it's deep, you know? It's here –" He lightly patted his chest, his hand hitting the location of his heart. "– the most fragile part of the body, the part that is so easily hurt, and I don't mean just physical means, but mental means. It hurts more mentally and emotionally than it does physically – it dies _harder_ emotionally, but physically, it just goes ..." He clicked his fingers, and a lingering silence followed. "...like that. Just like that Sunny Pixie."

She was looking curiously at him, her eyes watering in emotion and admiration. Commander Covington was remaining very quiet, and although he was a robot, Sunny Pixie was certain he was touched too. There was something about Mike's words that had a deeper root, and although Sunny Pixie _knew_ she shouldn't delve into them, her curiosity overtook her common sense, and she went ahead to ask anyway.

"It's hurting you to say it ... isn't it?" she asked him, though her voice had dropped to a whisper, so as to keep the sensitivity of the situation.

"Yeah..." his voice trailed away, his eyes no longer looking at her but at the wall instead. He was merely pretending to be interested in the wall, though there was nothing _that_ interesting; it was like a kind of prop being used, one to divert the attention, and to hide one's feelings behind.

Sunny Pixie didn't say anymore, as she found herself reading Mike once again. The roots were resting in his unstable family, his mentally ill mother, his suicidal brother, and his equally unstable father. They were all suffering from the trauma of the Neo Android's attack, they couldn't come to terms with the loss of his five-year-old sister ... and it was this that was unbalancing Mike's heart, shattering the glass cage that had, for so long, protected it with its motherly warmth. The shattered glass was stabbing into his heart like daggers, causing it to bleed and leave him in internal pain, yet what could he do about it? Ayme was perhaps his only plaster left, but even that plaster seemed to be too far out of reach, too hard to open, and too hard to heal.

The halo that had once been childhood innocence was gone forever, shattered by the lasers, ruined by the bleak future the two children faced alone. The house was empty, hollow, stripped of everything but its cold, estranged inhabitants; and it wasn't just Mike's house which suffered, but Ayme's too. Sunny Pixie could feel it in both their hearts, and knew they were slowly fighting a losing battle alone. They had to be together.

"Mike, I think I should go," the fairy began as she stood up on the table. "Come over tomorrow and talk to Ayme; I think it would do both of you good." Mike just nodded as the flame thinned for a second, casting half his face in a daunting shadow. Sunny Pixie was about to leave when she added, "Hey, don't worry. Everyone's got their tough times, but things will brighten when you tell Ayme …" She paused, during which she gave him a warm, reassuring smile. "…I know it will." When she received no kind of response – not that Mike needed to; it was one of those things where everyone present just knew – she took off the table and out of the house, leaving Mike with the last thought.

~*~


	4. Chapter 4

Sunrise came too soon, yet for Sunny Pixie, the prospect of Mike and Ayme finally admitting to each other those hidden feelings made the day ahead seem exciting. She could hardly keep her glee hidden from Ayme, who typically took it with great annoyance. Instead of following her downstairs for breakfast, Sunny Pixie remained upstairs, looking out of the window – much like every impatient child waiting for their friend to arrive would do – for Mike's imposing figure.

This sudden change in behaviour did not go unnoticed by Ayme (who welcomed it); even when it was four hours after sunrise, Mike had not yet appeared, and it was directly affecting Sunny Pixie, who was flying around like an annoying fly. Ayme had every mind to swot her – in fact, it had been something she had always wanted to do every day for the past two months – but something kept holding her back every time. She had a feeling she had unknowingly developed a strange fondness for Sunny Pixie, though her unappreciative feelings towards her must have masked this. Not that it bothered Ayme; as long as she didn't feel _too_ attached to the annoying critter, she would be fine.

"Will you _stop_ flying everywhere?" Ayme demanded grumpily as she tried to eat her lunch, though her eyes were being distracted as they kept following Sunny Pixie around the room. "What's wrong with you?"

Sunny Pixie shrugged as an initial way of replying, before adding, "Nothing."

"Well _something's_ wrong," Ayme snapped, clearly unconvinced by Sunny Pixie's lie, though she was unable to discover the real reason behind the lie. "So go away." She was pleased to see Sunny Pixie disappearing as usual, and the room fell into silence once again as she continued to eat.

Sunny Pixie had gone into Ayme's bedroom to continue looking through the window for Mike. She didn't know what was holding him up, but she hoped he would appear sometime today like he said he would. She was worried whether he had turned back on his promise and gone chasing after another Neo Android; she shook this thought out of her head as quickly as it had come – Mike _wanted_ to come clean with Ayme, he wouldn't go and hunt another Neo Android _now_ … would he?

His brave deed to kill a Neo Android had partially been done to impress Ayme, and the talk about a solid rebellion was also just another way of impressing her. It was needless to say that it worked; Ayme had been impressed, though losing her temper at him had undoubtedly been a surprise to all four present at the scene, including Ayme herself. The balloon had burst, yes, but in the most unpleasant way – and it was this which had only made the glass in Mike's heart stab him further, and built up a new balloon in Ayme.

The next five hours whittled away, acknowledging Mike's continuing absence. Sunny Pixie was sighing more than she had ever done in her lifetime; it was unusual for the optimistic monster to be this downhearted, yet the promise that Mike had non-verbally made was fading fast. In fact, Sunny Pixie was beginning to feel that Mike had been untruthful – until she saw him and Commander Covington _finally_ arrive.

Sunny Pixie bolted upright, her wide eyes glowing in both admiration and annoyance, just as a clear knocking came from the front door. The fairy immediately shot through the floor, and hovered as she saw Ayme passing to open the door.

"Oh, hi Mike!" she heard Ayme say. "What are you doing here? You normally don't come now." There was no answer; instead, what sounded like Mike stepping into the house followed.

"Hi Ayme, I need to talk to you." What Ayme said next Sunny Pixie didn't catch it; instead, she watched as Ayme lead Commander Covington and a winking Mike into the dining room. The fairy curiously followed them, settling on Commander Covington's shoulder as the two humans sat down.

"What's the matter Mike?" Ayme was looking directly into Mike's eyes, and there was no doubt that confusion and surprise was in her eyes. Mike was never this hesitant, ever.

"Ayme, I've thought about it, and, erm ... I'm not going to continue with the rebellion." This was clearly catching Ayme by surprise; she just kept looking at him, her eyes so solemn, so full of wonder, she was like a child crawling out of a box, having been filled with an expectancy of her own parents congratulating her on her feat, only to see and hear their anger as she received a sharp telling off.

"What do you mean? I thought it was your passion." Mike shook his head, and released a small sigh that Ayme didn't hear.

"It _was_, until last night." His eyes stole a quick glance at Sunny Pixie, though she could have easily been mistaken for Commander Covington, which was what Ayme seemed to think.

"What did Commander Covington tell you?"

"No, he didn't do anything," Mike quickly corrected her. "This was entirely my decision, though I _did_ talk it over with him slightly." Ayme leaned further forwards, her head tilted ever so slightly to the left, her eyes eyeing him in anticipation; she was undoubtedly awaiting the reason as to Mike's sudden change of mind. It had barely been 24 hours, and yet he was sat here, going back on his own words, and a decision he had been so passionate about, even if he hadn't shown it.

"Go on," she prompted him gently after a short pause.

"Ayme, I don't know how to say it to you, but ..." He lowered his head in his palms, his brain battling to admit it; behind him, Sunny Pixie was reading him again, and she could feel he was struggling, too afraid of the glass stabbing him even deeper if his confession went horribly wrong. It was now a game of 50/50, everything hung in between two words; yes and no. _Just do it Mike..._

"Mike?" Ayme stooped her head down, her eyes still turned on him. She was now looking directly at him, rather than from an angle.

"Ayme ..." He lifted his head out of his hands, and looked directly at her. Without even speaking, his fingers inched towards hers, and like a snake wrapping itself around its prey, he gently clasped one of her hands into his. This move threw Ayme off guard; initially, she looked stunned, her hand tightened, but it slowly loosened as she became more relaxed, a warm smile creeping on her face.

"Mike, are you saying you ..." she too faltered; what could she say? The two remained silent for some time, wondering what to say next. It was bizarre enough that Mike was suddenly holding onto her hand like it was the last action he would ever do, and she had a feeling someone else had persuaded Mike to do this ... her eyes swivelled to Sunny Pixie, who had an air of romance about her, like she knew before the situation had even happened.

It was hard to tell who was feeling more abash; they both had such red cheeks, they had been reduced to the point when they couldn't say anymore. Instead, a game of the eyes flitting away commenced, and Sunny Pixie began to wonder whether either of them could summon the courage or not; right now, it was looking as if that would be an impossible feat. She was tempted to flutter over and give them both the boost they needed, but then she didn't; she was going to leave this to them, she wasn't going to interfere – it was better if she didn't.

"Ayme..." Mike's second attempt also fell, and he resorted to avoiding her eyes again. Their embarrassment was undoubtedly fresh; even though Ayme was the more experienced of the duo, she still found it hard to bring herself to admit it. Memories of her ex were still fresh and painful, just like the glass shards in Mike's heart was painful. Her other arm slowly crept up the already locked hands, and she gently stroked and grasped the back of Mike's palm, warmly encaging his hand.

Mike looked up, and before him he could see not Ayme, but his guardian angel. She was so strong, yet so weak, even the guardian angel needed someone to look after her. He shifted his hand out of her grasp, and quickly recuperated by holding onto both her hands separately.

_That way, nothing get's left out. I'm your guardian angel, you're my guardian angel, and our hands will always be protecting each other_, he thought as he stared deeply into her eyes. There seemed to be a kind of silent, telepathic agreement as the two teenagers clasped each other's hands; they were like two shields back to back, forever protecting each other, and yet exposed to the enemy at the same time.

_Come on … admit it_, Sunny Pixie was furiously thinking just as Ayme attempted to bring the subject up again. "Mike, I ... it's been three years since we first knew each other …"

"Yeah," he dumbly agreed with her, unaware his grip was tightening. "Yeah, it has … you were single then, weren't you?"

"It had been two weeks since I broke up with Roy, yeah." There was a pained tone to Ayme's voice; the shards of the past still hadn't quite left her, and it was Mike's binding duty to help her pull out the last pieces.

"You know, I've never really said this, but … I liked you. Yeah … even when I first saw you." He was holding on even harder, as if afraid that Ayme would suddenly withdraw her hands. He was right to assume this – she had made a small flitting movement which would have otherwise succeeded. "I don't mean like as in, you know, friends … I mean, in … erm … you know …"

"Yeah … same …" The last word came out even quieter than the first. Before that moment, both teenagers had been focused on their hands; now though, their eyes rolled upwards even faster than their lifting heads, but when their heads caught up with their eyes, it was undeniable they were making direct eye contact.

"Well … I guess …" What happened next didn't need words to follow up; the two monsters watched as their partners leaned in close to each other, standing up as they did so; naturally, their grasp shifted from each other's hands and around each other's necks. They embraced each other, and at last, their lips locked.

It was a golden moment; in the foreground were the two lovers, relieved of their chains at last, as they continued to share that first kiss which had, for so long, been postponed all because of uncertainty coming from the other person; in the background, Sunny Pixie and Commander Covington were hi-fiving. They soon turned their attention back to the kissing couple; at last, the two guardian angels, together like they truly should be.

It felt like forever when they kept kissing, and eventually they stopped, partially to draw breath, and partially to look directly into each other's eyes, as if to confirm whether they really had just kissed. The confirming glints in their eyes told the other yes they had and, with an air of freedom, they kissed again, relishing the feelings they had been longing to convey, yet unrightfully held back for fear of rejection. If only they had admitted to each other sooner …

When they next broke apart again, Mike spoke first. "You should be kinder to Sunny Pixie. She came to visit me yesterday when you were asleep; she was the one responsible for telling me to come to you." A look of amazement was on Ayme's face; never had she imagined it would be her surviving monster who would draw them together …

She felt the pixie land on her shoulder and, for the first time, she didn't bother waving her away; on the contrary, she wanted her to stay just as a question came to her mind. "How did Sunny Pixie know –"

"I could always read your thoughts and feelings," Sunny Pixie explained quickly, her voice full of pride and self-satisfaction. "But I never realised I could read Mike's until you talked to him yesterday. I saw you wanted to admit you loved each other, so I thought I'd go and talk to him." Mike beamed at her, nodding with every word she spoke.

"Believe me Ayme, I think you'll really come to like her." He paused. "We owe a lot to her." This time, Ayme turned to look at Sunny Pixie, a warm glint in her eye; Mike was right, no matter how much she hated her monster beforehand, those feelings were all gone.

"Mike … what about the rebellion? I know you said you didn't want to do it, but now that we're, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend, I don't mind if you go ahead, I really don't. It's all for a good cause, isn't it?" Ayme turned her attention back to Mike as she spoke. "If you have to die fighting for freedom, then go ahead –" She yelped as Mike suddenly pulled her closer to him in such a jerky manner she almost sunk to her knees as she lost her balance.

"We don't _need_ the rebellion Ayme," he told her, speaking directly and softly into her ear. "All I need is you; we can be together, _forever_, just you and me and Sunny Pixie and Commander Covington every day. The Neo Androids can shatter this world, yes, but they can never break _our_ world, and they never will." He loosened his grip on her, and she leaned back while maintaining firm eye contact. "It's just you and me from now on."

"What about your family?"

"Do they matter? As long as I spend enough time with you, and with them …" The smile that was already present just widened, and Ayme let a small giggle escape between her lips. "We can be together every day; you wanted to escape, this _is_ our escape."

"Of course it is Mike." Ayme spoke as she rested her head against his chest. It was needless to say this was their rebellion too; no one would know, especially the Neo Androids – and anything the Neo Androids didn't know was equal to a rebellion. After all, why do it physically and risk being killed when you could do it privately and safely?

As the last rays of the sinking sun illuminated the pink sky, the dazzling orange-red rays broke through the window, and bathed the young couple in a magnificent glow. The shadows that were thrown upon the wall were friendly shadows, also sinking away from the world for the next twelve hours; yet for Mike and Ayme, twelve blissful hours would be shorter than the rest of the world would view it. The Neo Androids had clearly drawn what was and what wasn't meant to be; and there were some things that lines and barriers could never hold back.

~*~


End file.
